Reducing the weight of a mechanical apparatus is often desirable for reasons including, for example, ease of transport, ease of installation, and improved fuel efficiency. In the automotive industry one approach to reducing the overall weight of the vehicle has involved replacing various structural metal components, such as metal body panels, with lighter weight plastic components. More recently, attention in the automotive industry has turned towards replacing metal components of the engine with molded plastic. However, a molded plastic engine component must provide at least the same degree of mechanical strength and rigidity as the metal component that it is replacing, as well as resist the heat and fluids associated with an internal combustion engine. In addition, dimensional stability is very important for some classes of sensors that are attached to such parts. This latter problem is particularly difficult for polymer materials due to their relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a molded plastic cam cover for use as a component in the engine of an automobile. In addition to reduced weight, the molded plastic cam cover described herein has strength and rigidity and dimensional accuracy that is at least equivalent to that of a metal valve cover.